


The Acceptance Speech

by fanfictioniwrite



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: Acceptance Speech, Best Friends, Childhood Memories, Crew as Family, F/M, Family Fluff, Flashbacks, Future Fic, Nobel Prize, Shamy love, Thanks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-05-31 06:36:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6459739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanfictioniwrite/pseuds/fanfictioniwrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sheldon Cooper’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech and the stories behind it. (Shamy and lots of friendship between the gang members)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Summary: Sheldon Cooper’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech and the stories behind it. (Shamy and lots of friendship between the gang members)  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own the Big Bang Theory and make no profit of this story.

Sheldon scans through the large audience before spotting the few familiar faces he’s searching for.  
Leonard offers him a reassuring smile, Penny seems to be cheering (suppressing emotions is something she has never found necessary), Howard offers him thumbs up while Bernadette and Raj appear to be crying from joy for him.  
And then there is Amy.  
Among a crowd of a thousand he still fixates his gaze on her. She nods at him and then smiles, such an everyday action, one he has become used to seeing everyday. Sheldon is mesmerized, finding how a simple gesture can say more than a thousand words. Even after so many years he still finds it astonishing how much of an effect she has on him. What they have he portrays as nothing short of a miracle and not a scientific one at that.  
Their eyes meet for a few brief seconds and the theoretical physicist sees all the support he needs in those bright green irises.  
Clearing his throat he begins his speech, recounting the road that has brought him to this evening.  
Boy, has it been a long road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the prologue, following chapters will be much longer.  
> This idea popped into my mind and so I decided to explore what it would be like for Sheldon to recount his road to winning the Nobel. Pairing will be Shamy but there will be interactions between him and the rest of the gang and his family. I’ve always wanted to write something cute and fluffy and well…here’s me trying to.  
> Please review, feedback is a lovely and serves as author's motivation!


	2. Childhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Acceptance Speech  
> Summary: Sheldon Cooper’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech and the stories behind it. (Shamy and lots of friendship between the gang members)  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own the Big Bang Theory and make no profit from this story

**Chapter 2: Childhood**

Sheldon Cooper first dreamed of winning the Nobel Prize at the age of seven. He had just watched an episode of professor Proton and the scientist had said all the brightest minds won the famous prize.

The moment Sheldon heard those words, he knew he wanted a Nobel despite not knowing what exactly the award represented or how he would win it. All he knew was that, judging by everyone around him, he was one of the brightest, so naturally he deserved to win.

The afternoon after the episode he started begging Meemaw to take him to the town library to read all about it. His father had protested saying his son needed to play football and learn to chase girls, not lose his time reading fat books like some old fella. Luckily his grandmother could see Sheldon wasn’t like all the other children, no, her grandson was smart and he was one day going to become someone famous and successful. He was going to bring pride to the family name, she could see it even back then.

So, right around five o’clock (when the southern sun wasn’t all that strong) she took him and Missy to the library. In all her years she had never seen a child so excited as Sheldon was that day and she was sure to remember it.

The seven year old spent the whole afternoon digging through books she’d never heard of and reading every scrap of information about the mysterious Nobel Prize. He wondered how come he had never heard about it before but figured it wasn’t all that surprising since most adults around him would rather spend their days talking about beer and football than science.

Einstein had won the prize, no surprise there. Thomas Edison had been nominated but had refused to take it because of a fight with Nikola Tesla…and the list of great physicists went on and on.

Sheldon promised himself one day he’d see his own name right along that list.

He told all his family and classmates (among whom he had no friends) about the award but no one was interested. Furthermore, they all laughed at him and called him a nerd. It was the first time he heard the word but once he learned its definition he wondered why would anyone ever think it was an insult.

One day his father got tired of his endless tirades about the dreamed prize and started screaming at him. Meemaw was out shopping with his mother and there was no one to defend him from his father’s wrath. That afternoon the old man told him horrible things – that he was just a silly little boy who’d never amount to anything and that he should just give up on his childish dreams.

Sheldon didn’t know how to respond to the harsh words so he ran away and hid in his room, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. He buried himself in his own little world where he had already won the prize, where he was a noted scientist and not just a scared child, hiding under his Star Wars sheets.

An hour later he heard a knock on his door and then without waiting for a confirmation whether she could come in, his sister entered the room, pity written all over her face. Even at such a young age the girl hated seeing her big brother sad and wanted to make thing okay.

“Sheldon? Are you okay?”  she asked, making a few steps towards his bed. She wanted to run to him and wrap her hands around him (like her mother did when she was upset) but knew better than that – for some reason he had hated it and she was too scared to try.

“Go away, Missy!” Sheldon cried out, wanting his annoying little sister to leave him alone for once. After all what did she know – she was no young scientist like him!

“But-but you’re sad! I saw you cry, so I brought you ice cream and-and!“ she sniffled, her own blue eyes starting to fill with tears.

Sheldon stared at her, feeling guilt rush over him for making her cry. Great, now his father would scream about upsetting her too.

“Thank you for the ice cream.” he said slowly and offered her a small smile. Missy wiped away her tears and went to sit on the bed, offering him a porcelain bowl full of strawberry ice cream.

“Ice cream always makes people feel happier.” the girl pointed out, her words with childish certainty. Sheldon sighed and took a spoonful, knowing it was the only way to make sure she wouldn’t cry anymore.

“Mmm, I can already feel better.” he exclaimed, pretending to savor in the taste of the simple dish.

Missy only gave him a suspicious look. She wasn’t buying it which meant she wouldn’t leave until he was genuinely happy.

“What are you sad about anyway?” she asked, scooting a little closer to him.

Sheldon would have normally told her to go just go away but he vaguely realized she was only doing this because she cared about him. Not to mention he didn’t want her to cry again and anger his father.

“Because dad said I wouldn’t win the Nobel Prize.” the seven-year-old whispered, voice almost breaking.

“And do you think you will?”

“I don’t know…it seems to be very hard based on what I’ve read.” he admitted and could feel his eyes begin to fill with tears once again.  
Missy stared back at him, worried that he was crying again. She wrapped her tiny hands around him, wanting to make him feel alright. In reality it only bothered him because as he found human contact unnerving.

“If you don’t win the Novel plize…you can always ask Santa to give to you!”  she reassured, unable to think of any more comforting words.

Sheldon only rolled his eyes.

“Santa doesn’t exist Missy and even if he did he couldn’t just give you a Nobel. You don’t just get such a prize, you earn it.”

“Yes, he does exist!” Missy cried out, her previous sympathy now replaced with fury. She gave him an angry look before hitting him with one of his pillows. Sheldon was surprised at how much strength such a scrawny little girl could possess.

“Missy, honey, could you please go see your mother?” a voice said, causing the two children to turn in its direction.  
Sheldon saw Meemaw smiling at them warmly and a wave of relief washed over him. He knew his grandma could always make things okay.

Missy nodded excitedly, already having forgotten her fight about the legitimacy of Santa. She dashed towards the door but then turned to say:

“Take care of Sheldon, Meemaw. He seems really sad today.”

“Oh, I will honey.”  the old woman replied before going to sit on Sheldon’s bed.

“Shelly, what’s wrong?” she asked, voice filled with tenderness.

“Nothing.” Sheldon mumbled, staring at the pillows in his hands. He didn’t want to meet her gaze, scared that he’d break into tears once again. His father had told him repeatedly crying was for cowards and last thing he wanted was to look like a coward.

“Your father told me about your conversation.” she started slowly and he gave her a terrified look.

So she knew. And she probably thought his father was right – that he’d never win a Nobel Prize. That he was just a silly little boy who knew nothing about the real world.

“Your father is an idiot, Sheldon.”  Meemaw said, voice unusually cold.

The words made Sheldon jump and stare at her in disbelief. Never before had she insulted her son-in-low like that. Not to mention she didn’t appear to be joking, her expression serious and eyes sincere.

“He’s only making fun of your dreams because he doesn’t have any of his own.”

“B-but…he doesn’t believe in me. Says I think too much of myself and that, and that-“ he started crying once again, all his insecurities and fear coming to surface.

“Shh, Shelly, none of that is true.” his grandmother said, wiping away his tears.

Surprisingly he didn’t flinch at her touch and even enjoyed it because it was warm and reassuring and made him feel like everything was going to be okay.

“Your father may not believe in you but I do. I know one day you’ll grow up to be an amazing man. You’ll do great things, Sheldon Cooper. Winning a Nobel prize is going to be just one of many.”

Sheldon never forgot her words. He never forgot the look of absolute certainty written on her features, the expression of love and pride in her bright blue eyes, exact same shade as his own.

And it was those words that would keep him going years ahead, despite every set back, every insult and every person who’d tell him to get over himself and stop dreaming.

* * *

 

“And the winner of the Nobel’s prize in the field of physics is Doctor Sheldon Cooper.”

Many years later, when Sheldon tells the story about the moment he won the award, he always tells people how calm he was because he knew he would win. After all hard work eventually pays off.

But the truth is, when he hears that one simple sentence his heart stops for a few a fraction of the second and all he could feel is the rush of adrenaline and Amy’s hand squeezing his own.

Then everyone starts applauding and congratulating him and he is anything but calm.

Despite his confidence he suddenly feels light headed and finds it hard to remember the exact words of the speech he has been writing for the last few weeks.

Then Amy, squeezes his hand once again, this time a bit harsher as a wake up call that brings him back to reality. He focuses on her and for a moment it feels as if the whole world comes to halt and he no longer hears the commotion around them.

“Come on, Sheldon, you won! Get up there and take your prize!”

He finds it hard to find a response and remains silent, all of a sudden finding it hard to find the words. It is strange, normally eloquence is his trademark.

_She_ , however seems to understand him without any words said.

“Sheldon, I know you can do it. Just remember all the time you gave the speech in front of me. Just as we rehearsed.”

And there it is – after just a few reassuring words from her - his confidence is back, he takes a deep breath and heads towards the stage, more certain than ever. He can feel a small smirk working its way up the corners of his lips.

“Yeah, buddy go take your prize!” he can hear his friends’ excited voices not entirely able to make out which ones say what.

He goes on the stage and takes the award, such a simple gesture that is the end success of a lifetime of hard work and dedication.

Sheldon Cooper then steps forward, ready to deliver his speech. He clears his throat, takes a scan at the public, finds the exact pair of eyes he has been searching for and then begins.

“Hello, gentlemen and ladies. I had a grand speech ready for tonight but as some people would say, I would rather speak from the heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, huge thank for all the reviews! I’ve been toying with this idea for a while now and I hope the story comes out interesting and somewhat different.  
> I’ve always wanted to write something about Sheldon’s childhood and what kind of influence it had into forming his personality. I think Meemaw was an awesome role model (and that’s just based on the few words Sheldon has said about her in the show!) and I her persona was explored some more.   
> What did you think of this chapter? Next time there’ll be a lot more of the gang but I hope you liked this little stroll down memory lane too!  
> Have a great day and please review!


	3. Friendship Is Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own the Big Bang Theory and make no profit of this story

**Chapter 3: Friendship Is Magic**

Sheldon remembers the first time he told Leonard about his dream of winning the Nobel Prize as if was yesterday and he isn’t entirely sure if that is because of eidetic memory or because maybe, just maybe there is some nostalgia behind the memory too.

It has been a week since the short man had moved in and things aren’t going all that smoothly. Sheldon isn’t sure if he likes his new roommate all that much – the other isn’t really disciplined (he’d leave his stuff all over the apartment and then act as if it was the most normal thing in the world or they’d get into silly fights about the temperature of the air conditioner and what not.)

A roommate agreement was bound to arise and Sheldon was already scripting the most important clauses of it with great care. That is if Leonard gets to stay at all.

Then one day, while he’s flipping through the pages of a book that has a full list of the Nobel Prize laureates alongside with brief biographies, Leonard comes into the room and stares at him intently, curious as to what he’d doing.

“Yes, can I help you with something?” the Texan asks, annoyed at the other’s presence. He’s still not used to having someone around the apartment all the time and misses his old days of solitude. Then again the university’s not paying him nearly enough money, so naturally a roommate is a necessary evil.

Sure, Leonard isn’t the worst when it comes too roommates – at least he manages to keep quiet during night and doesn’t bring a different girl every night (like one of his predecessors did). The fact that the other is a scientist too is a bonus and Sheldon is willing to give him another chance, even if he later might come to regret it.

“I was just interested in the book you’re reading.” the brunette answers, taking a peek at the pages of the luxurious book.

“Well, if you must know it’s a book on all the Nobel Laureates. It has information about their research, whom they were up against in the race and a brief biography.” Sheldon explains, somewhat impatient as he really wants to get back to reading and not have to deal with the other.

 “I highly doubt something of this nature would interest you.” he adds, perhaps a bit harsher than intended. Then again he isn’t used to people who share the same hobbies as he does and just waiting for the other to make fun of his interests. One particular word – “nerd” comes up to mind.

Leonard doesn’t seem to pay much notice to the insult and sits next to him on their new sofa (something the shorter man has insisted on acquiring after much debate). His warm eyes are filled with nothing but a mixture of respect and awe, as if the book is mesmerizing to him and the theoretical physicist muses how the other looks like a kid in a candy shop.

“Why the white sheet of paper?” he asks, pointing at a blank page Sheldon has inserted at the end of the book.

The taller man is taken by the sudden question, surprised the other has such a keen eye for detail. Maybe he has underestimated him after all. He can feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment and mentally scorns himself for the expression of childish insecurity. It’s just that he’s sure the other will just laugh at him, like everyone else has so far.

“Because I intend to add my name to the list of winners.” he explains and mentally prepares himself for the other to laugh, or sneer or plain insult him.

The laugher though never comes and neither do the insults.

“That's coold, buddy.” Leonard shrugs, as if Sheldon has just said the most normal and logical thing in the world. As if winning a noble prize isn’t the highest academic goal one can dream of.

 _“Cool?”_ the taller man intrigues, raising an eyebrow. He looks at the other, searching for traces of mockery in his eyes but finds none.

“Yeah, I mean it is a very ambitious goal, but I’ve seen your notes and think you’re actually pretty good at what you do. In fact I’d say you’re far ahead from your peers.” the brunette explains and gives him a reassuring smile.

Sheldon just stares at him in disbelief, unsure how to take his words. Leonard is the first person, other than Meemaw and Mary, that has expressed any form of support to him. Everyone else – his teachers, his classmates at high school, even his professors and work colleagues have always dismissed his ultimate goal, laughing and sneering the moment they heard about his dream.

“T-thank you.” he says and offers the other a small smile, ‘Unfortunately, though, I can’t express the same level of praise about your work.” he adds before he can stop himself.

Perhaps the remark is impolite, or maybe even rude but then again Sheldon has never been one to care about other people’s feelings. He’s selfish and there is some small part of him that vaguely realizes it but he always likes to reassure himself that the greatest minds have the right to be.

Leonard just laughs at the insult and waves it off, as if it doesn’t affect him at all.

“Boy, you really aren’t much of a social butterfly, are you?” he grins, gets up and leaves the room, leaving Sheldon behind, bewildered.

“Not sure what a social butterfly means…” he mumbles under his breath, street idioms never becoming a part of his everyday vocabulary. Good things he has a dictionary at hand’s distance.

He attempts to get back at his reading but for some reason finds it hard to focus. His thoughts pull him back to the conversation with his roommate and how genuine the other seemed to be in his support.

A nice, warm feeling flutters in his chest and spreads through his entire being. He can feel the corners of his lips turning slightly upwards and he mentally chides himself for acting so immature and giving into his emotions without so much of a fight.

Surprisingly it feels nice to have the approval of others or just to have someone to talk to when it comes to everything science related. To have someone who doesn’t laugh at you when you tell them about your hobby to watch Star Wars marathons but instead offers you a cheeky grin and asks if they could join in.

Maybe having Leonard around isn’t such a bad idea, just like getting the couch turns to be a great decision and something that Sheldon grows to love over time.

Maybe, even having a friend wouldn’t be something so difficult for him and maybe it’d have a positive effect on him.  At least his mother and Meemaw insist on that he, for once, is willing listen to their advice.

Years later, Sheldon would be able to recall (thank to his eidetic memory and not sentimentality as he’d insist) that those few moments in the sunny spring afternoon were the beginning of his life-long friendship with Leonard.

Because even though he’d never willingly admit it, those few words of encouragement mean the world to him and give him a new impetus in his research.

From that moment on, Sheldon is certain – he wants Leonard not only in his apartment but also in his life, for as long as possible.

* * *

After getting up on the stage Sheldon remains silent for a few brief moments which for whatever reason (actually he knows the reason because it’s common knowledge your brain processes information faster in satiations of fear or excitement) times seems to slow down.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I had a grand speech ready for tonight but as some people would say, I would rather speak from the heart. You know I had a whole list of opening anecdotes to chose from but I guess I’ll just skip that part since you it’s all a bunch of forced laughs, to speak frankly.”  he gives a small smile at that, remembering how many times his friends had to worn him about being too blunt during the speech.

His words earn him a few chuckles and he feels more confident and calm, remembering that he should after all be enjoying this moment and not worrying about how he looks on stage. His biggest dream has just come true and the feeling is so amazing it takes some time to be fully processed.

“I guess it is a custom to express my gratitude to everyone who has helped on this journey to winning the Nobel. And first I want to thank the person who has the biggest role in this process.”

He meets the encouraging looks of his friends, Penny continues to give him two thumbs up (Sheldon thinks about how he should tell her that’s something you do at a baseball match, not a Nobel Prize ceremony). Leonard is smiling with the experience and confidence of someone who has already been in his shows as the winner of the prize a few years back. Raj, Howard and Bernadette seem to all be listening intently which is surprising having in mind the short attention span of the first two.

And then there is Amy and for a second Sheldon catches his thoughts drifting away from the whole ceremony and the speech, which is probably the most important one he’ll ever have to make and focusing on her. He thinks how she looks absurdly beautiful in a formal dress, with her hair up and wonders since when he notices such trivial things. Then again this Amy and when it comes to her everything is different.

“And the most important person is of course myself.” he states, not without a dose of self-irony or so the majority of the audience hopes as they laugh at what they take for a joke.

His friends now better for Sheldon’s slight arrogance is something that completes his character and something that if missing would change him entirely and would make him somehow less himself as annoying as it can be.

“Had it not been for my persistence and hard work I wouldn’t be here and I want to congratulate myself for everything I’ve done to now stand in front of you.”

“Cocky bastard.” Kripke mutters in a low voice, grinning at his colleague and alleged arch nemesis from one of the first rows. Truth to be told he is immensely proud he knows someone this successful and inspiring.

“That he is but that’s why we love him.” Leonard comments, having heard his remark.

“Guess you’re right about that.” Kripke smirks: “But don’t you ever tell him I said this.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” Leonard smiles before returning his gaze to his former roommate.

“But of course no man is an island so I have to attribute part of my success to my friends and family. First I want to thank my loving grandmother, Mee Maw who was the first to believe in me, who always supported and encouraged me and never once doubted I would one day achieve my dream.”

“Oh, man I had no idea Sheldon could make me cry.” Raj comments, clinging on to Howard’s hand as the other has the strong urge to roll his eyes despite having been moved by the speech as well.

“And I also want to express gratitude to one man who truly changed my life. That is my best friend Leonard Hofstadter a man you all probably know very well as he somehow managed to win the Nobel Prize before me. Truth to be told he was my first friend and to this day my is what common language refers to it “best friend”. I want to thank him for showing me no matter how intelligent you are, you can’t thrive in life if you are alone and it’s not a shame to rely on other people. Thank you, Leonard for being a great friend and colleague.”

Penny glances at her husband offering him a knowing smile before handing him a tissue paper.

“Damn it, I didn’t know he had it in him to be so nice.” he mumbles as he offers an appreciating smile to his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I hope you continue to enjoy the story and like the format with parts of Sheldon’s speech given at the end of each chapter. I just thought that would be a little more original then making just the last chapter have his entire speech.  
> So, anyway, every chapter will tell us about Sheldon meeting one or two members of the gang and how they helped him achieve his goal.  
> Oh, and in case you’re interested there will be an explanation about Leonard winning first.  
> So, how did you like the chapter? Thoughts on Leonard and Sheldon’s friendship? (I’ve always thought there isn’t enough fanfiction about that. Ha!)  
> Please share your opinion in a review :) Have a lovely day


	4. Dream Across the Ocean

**Dream Across the Ocean**

Sheldon realizes that although there a lot of similarities, there are also some fundamental differences between him and Leonard. One of them being that the other seems to believe socializing and having the so called “buddies” is important.

So, when one evening he drags along two young men from the university Sheldon is not in the least surprised. Annoyed, however, he is.

The first – Howard Wolowitz is short and has a haircut that Sheldon can only classify as horrible (not that he cares about looks at all but still he has eyes). He is noisy and obnoxious and likes making disgraceful sex noises whenever a female appears on the TV. And the Texan is certain there is no way he’s going to like him, not even in a million years.

The second he likes a little better – Rajesh Koothrappali seems to be more timid and less keen on making a fool of himself. He has difficulty with the English language (or talking as a whole) but Sheldon wouldn’t classify that as a shortcoming – in fact he rather likes someone who is quiet and doesn’t insist on constantly being the centre of attention.

“Hey, man what is that?” Howard asks all of a sudden, breaking his intense stare away from the news’ anchor’s ample cleavage and stretching out his idle hand to take a piece of paper Sheldon has left on the table.

“Don’t touch that!” the theoretical physicist cries out once he realizes what the other has decided to take a look at.

A devilish grin stretches across the shorter man’s lips:

“Or what? You gonna fight me?” he asks in a cocky manner and Sheldon can feel his blood boil.

No, of course he wouldn’t resolve to physical violence although the other has a smaller frame so he might just have had leverage.

“No, but give it back. It is mine and you don’t have my permission to look at it.”

“Oooh, I don’t have permission? That’s what she said!” Howard cries out and breaks into a forced laughter.

Leonard and Raj share awkward glances as they don’t find anything funny about the whole thing, the inappropriate joke especially.

“Howard, just give it back. No need to act so rude.” the foreigner reasons, giving his friend a pleading look. He hates conflict and wants to resolve things as quickly as possible but apparently the other has other plans.

“No, man – Sheldon’s been acting like a total dick since we got here! I bet he’s going to clean the apartment after we leave and never invite us again!”

“You are correct. That’s exactly what I plan to do.” the Texan responds in a calm voice, failing to see the obvious sarcasm.

It is Leonard’s turn to glare at him and mouth “Really?”

At the same time Howard is crying from laughter as he reads the supposedly top-secret contents of the piece of paper.

“This is so funny, dude! Check it out!” he  manages to say, wiping out a few tears as he forces the sheet into Rajesh’s hands.

Sheldon can feel himself flush with embarrassment as he listens to the other’s hysterical laughter. It feels like he has gone back in time, back to school where he was endlessly laughed at, taunted and ridiculed as if the other kids had no other job than to make sure he ended up going home crying.

His classmates were rude and mean, just like Howard.

“Give that back!” he finally snaps, marching to the three men and yanking the piece of paper.

“You wrote an acceptance speech for when you win the Nobel prize?” Howard sneers, face still red from laughing so hard.

“Dude, that is so fucking lame!” he adds and the words hang in the air, heavy and insulting.

And it’s like they will never go away, once said.

The whole atmosphere in the room changes suddenly and Sheldon feels as if someone has raised the temperature in the room with at least a few degrees. His throat feels dry and his cheeks are red but not because he finds the whole situation hilarious, like the engineer, but out of shame.

“You really think you’d ever win a Nobel prize? Are you stupid? Do you have any idea how hard it is to be awarded such a prize?”

And there it is again, he hears the stern voice of his father, scorning him, yelling at him and calling him all the dirty words he can recall in his drunken slur.

And then there is the word “stupid” which sounds like one of the ugliest words in the English language to Sheldon. He is anything but stupid, he’ll show him!

“Howard! Stop it already, don’t you see you are upsetting him?” Leonard demands casting a furious glance at the direction of his colleague.

“No, I am helping him! He should stop living in fantasy world and face reality! There is no way any of us is going to amount to anything in this life! I mean, look at us, we are a bunch of losers playing Dungeons and Dragons on a Friday night!”

Once again the heavy silence falls across the room and because of Leonard’s own insecurity he can’t think of any meaningful response so he just sighs, raising his hands in defeat, sighing and sitting down like the same looser he was back in junior high.

Sheldon is still there, red in the face and breathing heavily, almost on the verge of tears. His thoughts are spiraling out of control, one running over the other. Still, he can’t say anything and when he meets Howard’s cold, cynical gaze, accompanied by a victorious sneer placed across his features he just turns back and sprints to his room.

Like a little child he curls on his bed, crumples the sheet of paper with the stupid speech and throws it at the other end of the room.

He shouldn’t be so upset and he knows it. After all this Howard-persona doesn’t even have a PhD (Sheldon has checked that because he has his ways) but still he keeps hearing his mean words. It’s because they reflect his own self doubt and make him think that maybe his father and all those petty children who used to go to school with him were right.

After a few minutes of wallowing in self pity he hears a small, hesitant knock on the door. It’s the kind of knock you hear when someone isn’t sure if he should intervene or not, but it is still there and Sheldon is forced to get out of the pool of self pity and swim back to the surface of reality.

“Go away, Leonard.” he grumbles, pulling the blanket over his head even though it is too hot for that. Not to mention he should be long past the age where a simple blanket can serve as a tool of protection against the perils of the world.

“Actually…it’s not Leonard. It’s Raj and I…uh, wanted to talk to you?” the other man says and Sheldon barely manages to make out the words coming from the hall.  
He tries to ignore them and go back to feeling sorry for himself or at least planning to murder his new number one enemy – Howard Wolowitz – but he can’t as he is too intrigued in what the other has to say.

Perhaps he wants comfort, he wants to talk to someone and not just shut everyone out as he has done more times than he can imagine. Only problem is he’s never saying that out loud.

“Come in.” he surrenders in defeat in the end and the astrophysicist enters the room cautiously, almost as if he’s scared something’s going to jump out of Sheldon’s closet and eat him.

“Hey.” the man greets simply as he sits next to him and looks around the room, fascination in his eyes.

“Wow, you have so many geeky things, it’s almost like I am in a comic book store!” he says in a childish voice and Sheldon rolls his eyes.

“Are you here to talk about the interior of my room?” he demands in a rude voice and casts the other a look that’s mixture of wariness and annoyance.

“No. I came here to tell you Howard was a jerk. He had no right to say those things.” the foreigner states simply.

For a few seconds Sheldon doesn’t know how to respond to that, he just repeats the words in his mind, making sure he’s not hearing things. After all when was the last time anyone comforted him?

The words do sound comforting and somehow warm (he wants to slap himself in the face – how on Earth can words sound “warm” to him? He isn’t some damn hippie, he’s a rational human being) and they kind of make it all better even though he’s not sure why that is.

“Don’t you agree with him?” Sheldon asks finally, turning to finally look at the other and search for some signs of dishonesty, written on the other’s face. He finds none and isn’t sure if that’s something good or not because in all honesty trusting someone has never been something he’s good at.

“No.” Rajesh, or better yet Raj, shakes his head, “I…believe dreams are to be chased, no matter how distant they might seem right now.’

The physicist feels like making some sort of cynical remark or just telling the other to leave, but for some reason he can’t quite make out, he remains silent.

“You know America once seemed very far too. And yet here I am now.”  the Indian continues, without looking at the other. Apparantly he has noticed Sheldon’s discomfort but that doesn’t seem to bother him as he himself is no expert when it comes to interacting with others.

“You know what I liked to do when I was still in my homeland?”

“Do I look like Oprah? Of course I don’t want to know.” Sheldon snaps back but he does it just because the conversation is stirring out of his comfort zone and he doesn’t know what to do other than pushing the other away.

Raj, however, seems unfazed by his rude remark and continues his story.

“I’d like to just lay on the floor of my room, close my eyes and pretend, even if it was for just ten seconds I was here in America. That I wasn’t just another kid in my father’s home but a great scientist, having his own little family with some amazing woman.”

Sheldon opened his mouth to say something, make the other snap out from the apparent burst of melancholy but couldn’t think of anything.

“Of course not before long I’d be forced to face reality when my sisters would barge into my room and demand I go help mother or whatever but I never forgot about my dream. America was thousand of miles away from me, yet my dream was always in my heart.”

And hearing that, the Texan suddenly felt as if he had known the other for decades. Moreover, he saw a part of himself in the other, no matter how different they were. All he knew was that the other had a dream to chase, just like him and he hadn’t given up.

“You know I didn’t care when everyone doubted me or made fun of me, when people told me because of racism no one would ever accept me here in America. I just knew one day I’d achieve my dream…and here I am now.” Raj smiles, a small, genuine smile, nothing like the sneer that had played across Howard’s face earlier that evening.

“And you shouldn’t give up on what you want, either Sheldon.” the shorter man says, getting up to leave his room, as the other apparently didn’t want him there.

He had walked across the room and his hand was already on the doorknob when he heard a small but firm voice, very unlike Sheldon’s usual cocky tone.

“Thank you. You are not half as bad as Howard, you know?” the Texan admits and there is a small trace of humor behing his words, as if his mood had improved significantly.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Raj chuckles before exiting the room and going back to playing Dungeon and Dragons even if that supposedly made him a loser.

* * *

Sheldon pauses before continuing his speech:

“This might sound strange but I also want to thank all the people who doubted me. They truly motivated me and acted as a catalyst for my dream. Being, slightly egomaniac, I wanted to prove you wrong all along and in the end this only made me chase my dream even harder. And of course I appreciate just as well, if not more all the other people who lived to their aspirations and proved to me that it is possible to achieve your greatest goal. A prime example being  Rajesh Koothropoli, a prominent astrophysicist showed me that no matter how far what you want might seem to be you always have a chance to catch up as common language would put it.”

Rajesh sniffle loudly into his handkerchief before glancing at Howard, excited:

“See, I told you he’d mention me!” he says in a not-so-quiet way.

“Don’t make it sound as if it’s some big deal.” the engineer mutters, rolling his eyes. Truth to be told he’s never understood the over-emotional side of his best friend.

“Oh, you’re just jealous!” Raj responds sticking out his tongue, as if they’re not at a Nobel prize acceptance ceremony but rather at a kindergarten concert.

“Hey, I went to space you know! I don’t feel the need to be mentioned…”

“Keep quiet, both of you!” Bernadette silences them, using her borderline scary glare.

“Yes, m’am.”  the two scientists respond in unison and turn back to Sheldon.

“And I also want to thank my friend Penny Hofstadter for showing me a new perspective.” the Nobel prize winner says, making quite a few people among the audience, Penny included, raise their eyebrows in surprise to his statement.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too cheesy? Hope not. I’m so sad Raj doesn’t get a lot of attention and his past remains a gray area. I decided to give him a larger role in the story and hope I managed to do well.
> 
> How did you like the chapter? What do you think about Howard’s words? I didn’t want to make him the bad guy but he can be quite cynical and kind of an asshole, especially before he met Bernadette. I do think, however he’s grown up so much since the early episodes. Oh, did you like thoughtful and kind of wise, I guess Raj?
> 
> Next chapter (as you probably guessed it – Penny!
> 
> If you're enjoying story so far, please let me know!


	5. The Oscar for Nerds

**The Oscar for Nerds**

One day a waitress moves across the hall and of course Leonard sparks up a conversation with her -  ever the one to want women’s affection.

Sheldon is not pleased, to say the least. It’s not that he has anything in particular against the girl, it’s just that he hates change and wants to keep his life in equilibrium, which means having no new additions to it.

Still, Leonard seems intent on keeping close contact with her, going as far as claiming to be in love with her after barely getting to know her. Deep down (very, _very_ deep down) Sheldon wants his roommate, and as of late best and only friend, to be happy so in the end he settles and attempts to like his new neighbour.

To be honest, he finds it a difficult task. _Penny_ isn’t the kind of parson he’d normally add to his small circle of trust.

The young woman is loud and obnoxious and in Sheldon’s opinion lacks manners, not to mention common knowledge. She works at the cheese cake factory and doesn’t even have a degree and he has a hard time looking past the fact that she hasn’t heard of the Theory of Relativity.

Still, slowly he starts warming up to her, realizing she too has some admirable qualities. She’s warm and bubbly and he can see she’s had a great influence over Leonard. With her the shorter man becomes more confident and starts to open himself to the world.

There are other things too – she sings beautifully which reminds him of Meemaw and has a way of keeping the conversation going, even if it is about the most ridiculous topic in the world.

* * *

The first time he tells her about the Nobel prize is over breakfast at the cheese cake factory. It’s during a heat wave in August, one Sunday morning when the rest of the gang is busy with other things and doesn’t feel like including him in whatever they’re doing.

So, the cheesecake factory is naturally his first choice to spend the morning.Surprisingly, the dinner is almost empty and they can enjoy a relaxed conversation.

“Soo, Sheldon, tell me about your dreams!” the blonde exclaims, while using one of the menus as a small fan, trying to cool down.

“My dreams?” the Texan raises an eyebrow, surprised that she’d be interested in something this serious. He’d never think the other had much of a dream, other than engaging in pleasant encounters with handsome men…or Leonard.

“You know, what makes you get up in the morning and all that good stuff!” she adds cheerfully, giving him an encouraging glance,“You’ve heard all about my goal, I want to be an actress. Now is your turn – what do you want out of life?”

Sheldon contemplates for a few brief moments whether he should really share such personal information with her and then decides to risk it. After all, even the greatest of minds should take risks, shouldn’t they?

“I want to win the Nobel Prize.” he blurts out before he can stop himself, surprised at his readiness to share such personal data with someone else. After all sharing, emotions and all that “hippie- stuff” as he calls it is not something he’s used to doing.

“The what?”

Sheldon only scoffs at her ignorance.

“I knew it would be in vain to tell you.” he mumbles, fishing through his pockets for spare change and getting up to leave. He’s done with breakfast anyway.

“Is that some sort of science thingy? Kind of like an Oscar, except for nerds?” the waitress intrigues, giving him a puzzled look once he’s already up and about to head for the door.

“Look it up on the Internet. Make some good use of those megabytes you steal from us.” he says, turning on his heel and leaving.

“Doesn’t know what a Nobel Prize is. I bet she knows all about last night’s airing of American Idol though.” he mumbles under his breath, annoyed with the levels of ignorance sweeping through society.

 Unfortunately, Penny seems to fall into the vast category of uneducated people, at least according to him. It’s a shame really since he was just starting to like her (not that he’d ever admit that out loud).

* * *

A few days after that particular incident Penny barges into his leaving room (that has become a habit of hers – one that Sheldon is none too pleased about).

“Leonard isn’t here.” the Texan says automatically, without so much as glancing away from the screen of his laptop.

“I’m not here for Leonard, I wanted to talk to you.” Penny explains in the typical bubbly manner of hers which  causes him to look up and acknowledge her presence.

“Oh, have you finally decided to take my offer on giving you Physics lessons for a small fee?” he intrigues, giving her a hopeful look. The girl, could sure use some tutoring and not only when it comes to Physics.

“No, silly. I read about that Nobel Prize you told me about the other day.”

The words cause Sheldon to freeze. He’s sure she too will laugh at him and continue with the nerd jokes or say how he should just _get laid_ (he really hates that idiom but she seems very keen on using it just like a big proportion of the Northern American population).

“And?” he demands, pausing the game and preparing himself for another disappointment.

“And it seems really cool!” the blonde exclaims, propping herself on the couch and flashing him a bright smile.

His heart stops for a few seconds.

“I mean it’s not as cool as the Oscars or the Amys or even the Grammys but it’s still cool if you’re into science and what not, I guess.” she rambles on and Sheldon resumes his game of Dungeons and Dragons, no longer interested in the conversation.

“Not to mention, when you win your Nobel Prize, you could sure help me out with some money. I heard the award comes with a million dollars.”

Sheldon can feel himself freeze once again. He turns to face her, something in her words catching his attention once again.

“ _When_ I win it?”

“Well, yeah, you know, once you get it which I’m sure you will cause you’re all beautiful mind and what not…” Penny continues on but Sheldon doesn’t hear anything else.

He sinks into the pleasant atmosphere of the hot August afternoon and can feel a warm, reassuring feeling flutter in his chest. He’s far from a specialist when it comes to emotions but realizes Penny has some sort of comforting effect on him, some sort of warmth about her that has nothing to do with the hundred degree weather outside.

He doesn’t know how he should act on said feeling, so he prefers not to and just remains silent, letting her ramble on and on, switching from one topic to another. It feels natural and simple and for once in his life he actually _likes_ simple.

What he does know though is that she obviously believes in him despite barely knowing him and that kind of support and blind trust, combined with some sort of childish naivety and optimism is perhaps the thing he likes the most about her. It is completely different from who he is and how he views the world but perhaps sometimes you need someone who can make see things from a different angle so you can find a whole new perspective to life.

As the years pass he realizes how he has misjudged her upon first glance. He thought the blonde was vain and superficial, interested only in herself and her mindless way of life. As it turns out, he couldn’t be further away from the truth.

Sure, Penny isn’t the most intelligent (and that’s putting it mildly in Sheldon’s book) but she’d kind and supportive and is always there for him when he needs her. The relationship with Leonard helps both of them grow as people in different aspects and Sheldon has the strange, unfamiliar feeling of pride when he thinks about how much they’ve changed because of each other. _For_ each other.

In the end of the day he’s glad Penny moved across the hall.

* * *

 

"As you can probably guess, I have dedicated my life to science. But there was one person who made me realize life doesn't begin and end with what you learn from the textbooks. My neighbour and one of my closest friends, Penny, showed you don't have to be the have the highest IQ out there to be an amazing person."

Penny, raises an eyebrow at his statement, stifling a laugh. Anyone else would be offended at his remark (which is being recorded and proably broadcast on the nerd section of the Inernet) but she knows Sheldon well enough to know he means no harm.

If anything she's flattered. After all – how many people get a Nobel laureate to thank them? On stage at that.

"In the end of the day, no matter how smart you are you shouldn't only limit yourself to your own company, you should try to expose yourseld to as many different people as you can because everyone can teach you something. Even if that's just how to make a Cuba Libre" he looked at Penny pointedly who gave him a warm smile and a chuckle.

"And now I want to thank the most important person in my life - other than myself that is of course - my wife Amy Farrah Fowler."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope, this isn't Shenny (don't have against it though) but I love some friendship between Sheldon and Penny. I really think they have a very special place in each other's lives and are kind of like brother and sister. What are your thoughts? Do you think Sheldon and Penny are some of the best bro-sister dynamics on TV cause I certainly do!  
> What do you think of Penny's reaction?  
> Next time – Amy! Finally it's time for some Shamy feels!  
> If you're enjoying this story, please let me know! I really appreciate your response!


	6. Sheldon Tells Amy

**The How Amy Helped Sheldon Chapter**

Sheldon is not one to reminiscent. He’s not the type to, as Penny would put it, “take a stroll down memory lane.” In his opinion, spending time in the past is useless since it can in now way affect your present or help you build the future you want.

However, for whatever irrational reason his mind loves replaying the moment he told Amy about his dream of winning the Nobel prize. Sheldon likes to think it is some sort of “glitch”, some sort of trick his brain likes to play on him but deep down he realizes the reason for this phenomenon is not a scientific, but purely emotional.

He loves Amy and all her actions somehow carry a greater meaning than those of any other person. So it is no surprise, really, that he quite often replays the moment he told her about his dream.

* * *

 

It’s a few months after they meet and they’re sitting on the sofa in her living room and Sheldon thinks about how it is way too soon for him to see her room. After all – how can she have such trust in him if they have only known each other for such a short period of time?

It’s not this isn’t _nice_ – he’d be lying to himself is he said he isn’t enjoying himself. The atmosphere is quiet (save for the somewhat annoying sounds her pet monkey makes from time to time) and relaxed and for whatever reason there is some underlining feeling of familiarity. He can’t explain it since they barely know each other and yet he feels as though they always have.

Sheldon feels like the period of silence has stretched for too long though and struggles to come up with something to say, some way “to break the ice” as Leonard would put it even though he doesn’t feel like there is any ice between them to begin with it.

In the end he settles for something Penny asked him a long time ago, in the beginning stages of their friendship (and yes mentally Sheldon does use the word friendship even though he would never say it out loud at this point).

“So, Amy-“ he begins but just at the same time the neurobiologist too opens her mouth to say something.

He isn’t used to this at all – starting to speak at the same time so he isn’t entirely sure how to react and just attempts a small smile. She too seems uncomfortable and it is apparent she isn’t much of a social butterfly either. Most people would scorn at this but he actually prefers it this way – he has never understood why society has such a fascination with loud and obnoxious people. He prefers quiet, level headed introverts because at least with them it is somewhat easier to interact.

“You go first.” Amy says, flashing him an awkward smile of her own.

“The social protocol dictates lady’s first.” Sheldon responds and she quirks an eyebrow, her face freezing in some expression he can’t read.

“Sometimes we ought to take a break from social protocol, don’t you think?” she asks and he meets her eyes for perhaps the first time since they have met.

He is taken aback not only by her sudden and unexpected question (he didn’t think Mrs. Fowler would ever be one to suggest breaking from the norm) but also by her eyes.

Sheldon struggles to come with a word besides beautiful to describe them. It’s not so much that they are an interesting and unique shade (green is the rarest eye colour in the world as he recalls) but the expression behind them.

There is depth, interest, curiosity, life to them.

And he is surprised because, honesty, it has become such a rare occurrence to meet people with such expressive eyes since the usual zombie consumerist kind of look is apparently “in” both for women and men. Not to mention since when does he pay attention to eyes at all?

“No, in fact I believe rules exist so that they guide us. They’re not boring or “lame”, they are necessary for survival.” Sheldon says in response, always one ready for an argument.

He can see the corners of Amy’s mouth curling into a small smile, one she initially tries to fight.

“Fair enough, I agree. At the same time though I think that…” she pauses, as if she struggles with herself if she should say something or not and in the end decides against it.

 “If we always followed rules we’d never achieve any progress as we would always be repeating the same mistakes.” she says after a brief moment of silence.

Sheldon is surprised with her reasonable argument, one that he realizes there is much truth and more importantly logic behind.   

He likes logic and has built his life around it and when he finds people who are the same way he wants to keep them. He mentally scorns himself – it is too early to think about “keeping” Amy, not to mention she’s a human being, not a pet and he doesn’t want to treat her like one.

Still he can’t help but think there is something more to do conversation, some hidden meaning behind her words he can’t decipher. And if there is anything he loves more than the straightforward answer it’s a good puzzle.

Many years later though he realizes what she had meant.

She was breaking the rules with him, for him. And he was doing the same with her.

Sheldon Cooper didn’t date, hell he didn’t even think about the prospect of it. And yet Amy had been the ultimate exception, the one to prove every rule could be broken if the reward was sweet enough.

“Is it true you want to win the Nobel Prize?” she asks him all of a sudden, making him break away from the spiral of his thoughts.

“Yes.” he has automatically without a second thought.

“Yes, I do, how do you know about that?” he inquires, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. Did Penny tell her that? No way, the Nebraskan isn’t one to talk about anything remotely science related.

“You mention it in an interview for the scientific magazine issued by Caltech.” the neurobiologist responds, unfazed.

“You read that?” Sheldon asks, surprised at her apparent interest in him. He is not used to other people being intrigued by what he does. In his life he has an unspoken rule of staying as far away from others as possibly and they seem to do the same in return.

“Of course. I read every scientific article, interview or even blog post you’ve made. You see when I get to know someone, I like to do my research first.” Amy says in calm, steady voice which sounds as if she would use when conducting a scientific research.

“I’m surprised by that.” the Texan utters, completely revered by the other. He doesn’t even register the words, they just slip out of his mouth – something he is definitely not used to.

“Oh, let me guess – you find it creepy?” the female stiffens, apparently suddenly uncomfortable, “I-I only do it because it helps me feel a little bit more secure if I know what I’m getting into. Not a big fan of surprises.”

But Sheldon doesn’t respond anything, nor does he break away from his intense stare on her.

“If-if you’re not okay with it, I understand. I apologize for-“ she starts but he cuts her off.

“I find it amazing.” he says simply as if it the most logical and natural thing in the world.

“That you read up on me, that is. I’d do the same for you if I had even the slightest interest in biology. Unfortunately though, I find it a science much inferior than Physics.”

Offending a person comes naturally to him, it’s something easy and familiar which he’s done all his life to the point where it has become second nature.

“I see, well you do have the right to have your own opinion.” Amy responds, completely unaffected by his statement, “I do hope you win the Nobel though.”

“Why?” Sheldon asks before he can stop himself, “You don’t even know me.”

Amy pauses, setting his eyes on him.

“Feels like I do.” she says non-chantly and this simple four word statement makes Sheldon, for whatever reason, uncomfortable but not necessarily in a bad way.

He feels like something in his chest twitches, as if something that has long been asleep (or perhaps he didn’t even know of its existence) awakens in him. And naturally, he does what he is best at when it comes to feelings – he ignores it.

“Strange, I feel the same.” is the only conclusion he can come up with but he never says it out loud.

“Not to mention” his colleague continues, “I know the thrill of science. That tug you feel in your chest, making you get out of bed and head to the lab. The lust for discovery, for answers, for…” she bites her lips, unable to express what she feels.

Sheldon finds himself smiling before he can stop himself, he is staring at her, questioning why hasn’t he met more people like her and where has she been until now.

He has finally found someone who understands – a person of similar mind, someone who can grasp the way he works, who can get the trill of exploring a whole new matter.

“You’re different from everyone else I have met before.” Sheldon states in a loud, clear voice that makes the other break away from her thoughts and stare at him like a deer caught in headlights.

“You’re not the most typical person, either.” she says and he can note the underlying note of defensiveness.

“I’ve never thought that’s a bad thing. Just the opposite – if I were to mix in the society we live in…I would be greatly ashamed.” he answers, in a ridiculously serious tone.

Suddenly Amy bursts out laughing at his enormous ego and his utter lack of respect for the remaining part of humanity. The warm giggly sound encompasses the room and quite possibly the whole floor. Just like that the tense atmosphere is gone and once again he feels as if she is some old childhood friend, someone he’s known for ages or perhaps a fraction of his own reflection.

Because Amy simply _is_ like him.

She isn’t like Leonard or Howard or Raj or Penny (they are light years apart). And while the rest of his intelligent friends might be nerds, might watch Star Wars and play Dota, Sheldon doubts they can truly ever understand him. They can’t go though the anguish of not wanting to interaction with others and the stigma society has imposed over it.

“Tell you what.” Amy says when is done laughing, “If we continue with this…” she points between them, “whatever you want to call it, we will help each other’s careers in science. I have no illusion of wanting a friend, much less a boyfriend who cares only about what’s under my skirt-“

(Sheldon cringes at the blunt way she put it. Then again, he’s never one to run away from honesty)

“I want someone to challenge me, inspire me and bring out the best version of me.” she finishes of, green eyes completely serious.

And yet again Sheldon finds himself smiling, because he has finally found someone who might just as be worth taking down the walls he’s built. And that someone might even help him build a new fortress for the two of them.

Then again he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, so he just nods and switches the topic to the Particle Accelerator.

 The warm, lazy afternoon stretches on and he can’t help but admit he is thoroughly enjoying himself. They talk about everything and nothing and for the first time in a very, very long time he feels so interested in another human being. He is completely submerged into the conversation and feels like they don’t even have enough time to say all the things they want to.

It’s a strange feeling – something unfamiliar and irrational, something that equally terrifies and excites him.

Perhaps he was wrong after all and maybe, just maybe people aren’t all that boring after all.

Or at least not Amy.

Sheldon took a deep breath before continuing his speech. Once again Amy was looking at him with nothing but love, gratitude and pride.

Then again it was him who had to be even more grateful.

“There is one person who has supported both at my best and at my very worst, a person whom I have shared a life long time of common interests in the face of science, the pursue for new knowledge and a better understanding of life through the physical world. This person is one of the best in her field, a world celebrated scholar, author and I am sure an inspiration to many. But to me, she is all those things and more – she is my soul mate and around the clock psychologist” Sheldon smirked as he could hear a handful of laughs among the audience.

“She is the one constant in my life and my point of equilibrium.”

Sheldon looked at his wife and he could see a few tears glistening in her green eyes. Although the two of them had written the speech together and had rehearsed it over a hundred times (121 to be more precise) he had hidden the part dedicated to her.

He was nervous about whether it was good enough but now realized he shouldn’t have been because after all this was Amy – the one person in the world he could always rely on for unquestionable support.

“I am so grateful I decided to go with a water proof mascara!” Amy tried to joke as she raised a hand to wipe a tear that had made its way down her cheek. Penny gave her an amused look and squeezed her arm.

“See, I told you there was no way Sheldon wouldn’t say something special about you!”

In all honesty the neurobiologist found it hard to believe this was all real and not some sort of wonderful daydream. Sheldon had won the Nobel, making his wildest dream come true and achieving something so few people had managed to.

And her – she couldn’t be any more happier about him and their relationship. It had been a long road and there had been obstacles but in the end she knew Sheldon, they, were worth it.

“She is the most important person in my life – my wife Amy Farah Fowler.”

Amy smirked – Sheldon was ever the romantic, and she didn’t want it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like Shamy? I swear they are one of the most interesting, different and well...sweet couples on Tv right now! I hope Sheldon's speech wasn't too cheesy and OC but bear in mind the story is supposed to be taking place after he and Amy have been throught a lot together. Any thougths?
> 
> Oh and btw this was not the last chapter - Sheldon still hasn't finished his speech and has some more to say and I really want to talk about some other events that took place before he acrtually won.
> 
> Next chapter will be filled with even more Shamy goodness, so stay tunned.
> 
> Please review, your words are super encouraging and inspirational for me to write more! Thanks!


	7. Winning

**Winning**

Leonard and Sheldon are both nominated for the Nobel Prize in the same year.

Sheldon jokes (no, actually he says that with a straight face but the others like to hope he's joking) about how certain he is he'd be the winner and how despite that he'd share the fame with his former roomate and wouldn't forget to mention him in the acceptance speech...

Leonard wins.

Sheldon's whole world comes to an abrupt halt when the winner's name is announced because that is definitely not his name. It doesn't even sound close to it and no matter how hard he tries he can't wake up and there is the unyielding certainty that this is not a bad dream.

For a second he feels like he can't breathe and thinks he'll collapse , curl on the floor and just cry there. And there have been times when he would to that exactly and he feels somewhat ashamed of those times, discarding them as one of his "lesser" stages of development in life.

But those times feel as though they were a lifetime ago. Before he met Amy, before he started a family, before he knew what friendship really meant.

But now things and different, he is different. Older and more mature and understanding better the concept of friendship and not just the "book" version of it that social protocol dictates but the real one, the one where you know sometimes you have to suck it up, as Penny says, put on a smile and be there for you friends.

So he can't just make a scene (he can already see the headlines that would cause) and steal the show from Leonard. No, he has to be strong and mature and not show how much this breaks him.

He is the first to get up and clap for the winner offering him the best smile he can give, despite his eyes feeling a little wet and his throat tight.

Because, boy does Leonard look good on that stage.

Sheldon can only hope his speech will be at least half as good as the others if he wins. No, _when_ he wins.

* * *

 

Sheldon can feel Amy eyeing him worriedly. It's been a week since Leonard has won the Nobel Prize and she's worried about him, just like the rest of the gang.

Leonard has already called him five times (this morning), apparently being more concerned with Sheldon's disappointment than his own victory. Despite everything, that makes him smile, the shorter man might have his flows but he's the best friend one could ever ask for.

The Texan tells him to enjoy the success and reassures him he's just fine.

It's not true but Sheldon has learnt (the hard way) it is important to take other people's feelings into account and that the universe doesn't revolve around him, as much as he would like it to.

"Amy, for the last time I am fine." He says, voice lacking the usual enthusiasm.

Fine, fine, fine. Semantic satiation.

If you repeat a word a large number of time it loses its meaning and sounds strange on your tongue. Sheldon's is currently experiencing said effect.

"I don't believe you." Amy shakes her head, seeing with ease through his desolate attempts to brush aside what has happened and assure her that it's all peachy. Those things might work on anyone else but she knows him after all. Better than anyone.

"How can you be okay? This has been your dream since you were seven years old!" she exclaims, eyes filled with pain, as if she herself is suffering from the fact that he didn't win.

Sheldon remembers reading a quote saying that love is about sharing the pain and the pleasure of another human being. He supposes there is some truth in those words as overused and corny as they are.

"It's okay to admit you feel disappointed, Sheldon." the neurobiologist murmurs, giving him a comforting gaze as she takes a step towards him, shortening the distance between them.

"Is that what you want to hear? Fine, I feel disappointed!" he exclaims, voice a bit harsher and louder than intended.

Amy doesn't seem to be affected by the sudden outburst, if anything she welcomes it. Sheldon's quick temper and blunt mouth is something she has come to know and in some strange way love. It's a constant, something he hasn't changed over the years, no matter how much he as a whole has.

"It feels fucking horrible!" he screams in desperation and the sudden, harsh and disgraceful words hit Amy like a hammer, effectively breaking the peaceful atmosphere of their apartment on the early Sunday morning.

Sheldon doesn't swear – that's common knowledge. Using coarse language is something so far from his usual ways, something so atypical that she wonders if perhaps, she misheard him or imagined the words.

The silence stretches in the warm Pasadena air and every minute of it is making the atmosphere sunk lower. At the very least some of the tension between them dissipates and with it a small fraction of anger and disappointment Sheldon is feeling.

Amy doesn't know what to say, doesn't have the magical key to making him feel better. Nor does she have a spare Nobel Prize to award him.

"Do you have any idea how excruciating it is to be so close to everything you've ever wanted and then have it stolen away from you?" Sheldon asks, voice small and uncertain, reminding her of a young child.

The Texan shakes his hand, as if having thought of something just now.

"No, not stolen." he comments, almost as if he isn't talking to her, but rather to himself. Trying to explain things, to find some sense and logic for his own comfort.

Logic is good, logic has kept him going on and protected him his entire life. Logic was his friend, before Leonard and Raj and Penny. Before Amy. Speaking of Leonard, Sheldon feels guilty, trying to correct what he'd said.

"That's the thing. Everything I wanted wasn't stolen from me. Leonard won fair. He deserved the prize. The Nobel wasn't stolen from me, I just…I just lost."

The final word is little more than a whisper and when she meets Sheldon's cold, empty glance she can feel her own eyes starting to water.

Still, she can't do anything, she can't think of the right words that would bring him the much needed comfort. What can she say? Is there anything to say at all?

_"You were good enough?"_ or _"Try again?"_

No. That wouldn't work, that'd be an offense to Sheldon's intelligence, trying to dismiss his pain with such trivial sayings, as if he is four grader who has a bad grade.

"And…and I'm happy for him, Amy. He is my best friend and I love him, I do. I may not show it but Leonard…he means so much to me. And yet I can't…I can't even look at him without thinking about how much I wanted to win."

The simple, candid words make her realize how much Sheldon has grown up. The once spoiled, bull-headed and often selfish man she had met all those years ago (and still fell in love with despite or maybe because of how broken he was), was nowl ong gone and it made her realize just how proud she was of him.

She steps in closer before wrapping her hands around his frame.

"I know." she whispers.

No pompous words, no promises about things she knew didn't depend on her.

Just the simple reassurance that she understood him. And she did, if anyone did it was her.

"And I'm here for you. We'll get through this."

And the simple statement seems to calm him down and somehow relieve his angst which she saw as impossible at this point. He buries his head in the crook of her neck and draws her in closer and she can't help but melt into his embrace like the first time they'd been this intimate.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." Sheldon whispers in her ear, voice shaking just a little.

"Thank you, Amy."

* * *

A week passes and Sheldon's mood improves considerably to the point where they can have another, proper celebration dinner for Leonard without the awkward, drown out pauses between conversations.

Once the two of them are back to their apartment after the dinner (held in the old Cheese Cake Factory because some things never change), Sheldon looks as if he has something to tell Amy and by the looks of it, it seems important.

"What happed at that ceremony…it was the best and the worst day for me. I got to see my best friend win and all the hard work he'd done pay off. At the same time I lost the chance to make one of my biggest dreams come true."

But there is something else, this whole thing also taught me something…" the physicist says, his tone now different. His voice is calm and certain, his aqua eyes are soft and Amy isn't entirely sure she has seen the expression behind them before.

He gives her a prolonged look, his face showing some strange determination. She wonders what he's up to.

"I suppose the best way to deal with a setback is to see it as a blessing in disguise." The neurobiologists says in the end, hoping her words would bring comfort.

Sheldon nods in agreement.

"Exactly. I've learnt that even if I never win the Nobel Prize it won't be the end of the world." he says calmly, as if talking about the weather prognosis and not what he has dreamt of since childhood.

"What are you talking about?" Amy nearly screams back in utter disbelief, "Winning the Nobel is your life goal! You can't just give up now!"

"I'm not giving up." Sheldon retorts quickly, determination once again written over his pale features, his voice firm.

He takes a deep breath before continuing:

"All that I am saying is that…winning a prize isn't why I chose Physics. I do my research because it inspires me. It thrills me. It makes me get up every morning with a broad smile on my lips because I know I will get to learn a little more about the world we live in. As corny as it might sound, no prize can ever compete with that."

Amy just stares at him, eyes filled with genuine love and pride. This, exactly, is the reason why she loves him so much. With or without a prize, in her eyes he is the best physicist to ever grace the Earth.

"Sheldon Cooper, you're the most amazing person I've ever met." she says before pulling him into an unexpected kiss.

He responds immediately and lets himself fully enjoy the physical contact. It is warm and comforting and tells him that everything in the world will be okay, even if it isn't. Why on Earth would he try to fight it? Ages ago he would have, but that Sheldon is long gone.

"Amy, do you know what Nikola Tesla responded when he was asked what his biggest regret was?" he asks once they break the kiss.

"That he didn't win the Nobel because of his fight with Edison?" the neurobiologist replies, incredulous. Unlike Sheldon she hasn't had the time nor the desire to memorize the biography of every famous scientist that has walked Earth.

"No. His biggest regret was that he let his work take all of his attention. He missed out on life…he never knew what it was like to share your life with another person."

Amy nods, although she still can't quite figure where her lover is going with that statement.

"And I don't want to make his mistake." Sheldon adds and without any warning gets on his knees.

Amy stares at him in disbelief, feeling as if the whole scene is part of some happy dream and not reality. Because she has pictured this exact moment hundreds if not thousands of times in her mind but nothing could prepare her for when the other finally makes the step.

Sheldon takes out a small velvet box from his pocket.

"Are-are you really going to…Oh, my God, Sheldon!"

"Amy Farreh Fowler, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

"Yes! Yes! Of course, Sheldon!" she exclaims as Sheldon puts a small silver ring on her finger, making one of her biggest dreams come true through such a small, simple gesture.

They kiss and Amy feels like one of the princesses she heard about in those bed time stories her mother would rarely tell her. The feeling is surreal, something she can't describe even is she's eloquent by nature. She never thought such a thing would happen to her, she believed love was reserved to other girls, pretty girls, girls who don't do science.

"You're my prize, Amy Farah Fowler." Sheldon whispers in her year, dispelling all of the bad memories she has from a lifetime ago.

Because her life with Sheldon, despite all its difficulties, offers moments that feel like a fairy tale and this is one of them.

"Though I wouldn't mine a Nobel as well." Her fiancé (that sounds really good to her) smirks and she lets out a small, heartfelt laughter because of course Sheldon would say something like this.

* * *

"Gentleman, I want to thank my wife Amy, for she's the one person who's supported me through this entire journey." Sheldon says, voice steady and full of grace.

Not only is Amy grateful for his words, she is proud. There isn't even a trace left of the man who was once unable to trust another human being due to his childhood and loneliness.

"Believe it or not, I can be hard to put up with" the Nobel laureate smirks and he can hear a few laughs throughout the audience.

"Oh, we believe it." Howard chuckles and the entire gang turns to nod in agreement.

"From personal experience." Leonard adds with a small smile of his own as years of memories with his roommate flood his brain. It makes him feel all the more nostalgic of those times even their lives are a thousand times better these days.

"You're such a drama queen." Penny teases, squeezing his hand.

"That's why you love me" the short man wiggles his eyebrows, making his wife roll her eyes.

"True that" Penny laughs in the end, turning her attention back to the stage.

"No matter how obsolete and hard I might have been to deal with my wife, who has a brilliant mind of her own, stayed with me and encouraged me." Sheldon voice speaks of warmth and gratitude and Amy can't help but let a small tear stream down her face.

"Oh, Sheldon." She whispers, returning her husband's warm gaze.

"Gentlemen, if I could over you a piece of advice. If you want the Nobel Prize, get yourself a woman like Amy Farah Fowler."

The audience chuckles and Amy earns a few curious looks as some people recognize her.

"Well, I am sorry but the best one is already taken." Sheldon jokes, finding it almost impossible not to insert his trademark "bazinga!". Then again that would probably be some very bad publicity.

Amy laughs at him, making a mental note to make this moment a treasured memory.

"The time for my speech is almost over, so I'd just like to add a few more comments before some of you get bored."

Sheldon continues and he earns a few encouraging smiles from the people that matter to him the most in the world – his wife and the friends, effectively serving as the best family he could have asked for.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you enjoy this chapter? I simply couldn't stop myself from writing a cute Shamy proposal that fit with the narrative. And Leonard winning first, I thought that would be a nice twist and a great way to create some character development from Sheldon.
> 
> Really what I wanted to portray with this fanfic is Sheldon growing up along with his friends and Amy, all the while pursuing his dream. Don't know how well I'm doing but at least it is super fun to write it, haha!
> 
> Once again I apologize if the speech was a little cheesy but I'd figured Sheldon would be pretty emotional once his biggest dreams come true!
> 
> Please share your thoughts on the story with me!
> 
> Reviews serve as an author's motivation!


	8. The Destination Is Reached

**The Destination Is Reached**

The day that the nice gentlemen call Sheldon to notify him about his nomination is a normal one.

It’s a sunny day in Pasadena just like the other three hundred and four days and Sheldon is having Thai with the gang, Amy’s fingers interlocked with his.

Howard and Bernadette are fussing over the twins’ grades at school and arguing about where their next vacation should be. Leonard is busy convincing his daughter, Lily, to watch Star Wars and Sheldon makes a mental note to help him with that important mission while Penny rolls her eyes, muttering about how one geek in the family’s more than enough.

Margaret is having ballet lessons that day.

Raj is sitting with his boyfriend, their hands locked together as they chat leisurely about everything nothing in particular.

Sheldon notes to himself how the gang hasn’t changed much over the years, except they have become even closer, their lives intertwined with one another. There are newcomers to the picture – the twins and Leonard and Penny’s adorable daughter, as well as Raj but other than that the gang is pretty much the same.

They are still the band of misfits who only fit together, and over the years the group of strangers he once met in Pasadena has become synonymous with family.

“You’re smiling the way you do when you read about physics,” Amy points out with a chuckle, effectively making him break away from his thoughts.

He turns to face her, lips stretching into a warm smile on their own upon her sight. Amy is beautiful and not in the way those vain models on the magazine’s covers are.

No, her beauty is warm and mature, it has substance behind it. It’s not tangible, it’s not something he can describe or measure and yet it’s all he could ask for. He reads intelligence and curiosity behind the calm green of her irises which over the years has only become more intense.

“Oh, I was just taking a stroll down memory lane, I guess.” he notes and Amy reflects his smile before leaning in and locking their lips together.

She tastes of Thai food and smells of the same perfume she’s been using for the last three years, the one he’s let himself remark is his favourite even if he usually never comments on such trivial things.

It’s then that the phone rings and he jumps to get it but not before enjoying the intimate moment with his wife.

The man over the phone is polite and respectful as he announces what he’s always wanted to hear.

Sheldon is elated but not surprised.

Over the years he’s become confident enough in his work to know such an achievement is only logical. It’s not that he’s missed confidence before but during the course of his long career, he’s learnt to be less obtuse with it and his trademark arrogance has somewhat subsided, replaced with a quiet sense of self love and respect.

The whole gang has gone silent, all of them waiting for his answer. Even the twins have for once ceased their endless childish banter that he’s become used to.

“So?” Leonard asks, eyes full of hope.

“Are you nominated?” Raj demands, squeezing the hand of his boyfriend in excitement.

“Come on!” Penny urges, enthusiasm having stuck with her throughout the years. (He wouldn’t want it any other way as he’s come to love her cheerful personality and the way it contrasts with his own over time).

“Just tell us, uncle Sheldon!” Lily demands as she clasps her tiny hands over her chest, excitement playing behind green eyes.

“I am nominated,” he declares and the entire gang lets out a breath they haven’t realized they were holding.

A cacophony of “Congratulations!” mixed in with “I’m so happy about you!” follows and Amy quickly wraps her hands around him, pulling him for another kiss in celebration.

“This year I know I am going to win,” Sheldon states, voice smooth and confident.

He meets Leonard’s gaze as his best friend nods at him, eyes full of quiet assurance. The Texan has to wonder how can such a simple gesture bear so much meaning between them.

 “We know you will, buddy,” he confirms and that is all the support Sheldon needs in the world.

Soon enough Penny calls for a group hug and a photo in order to seal the blissful moment in eternity.

And while Sheldon is being squished by the group he notes how although the group as a whole hasn’t changed much, individually they all have. They’ve changed, they’ve grown.

Vaguely, he notes how twenty or so years ago he would have been terrified by human contact, finding the prospect of the so called group hug dreadful. Yet here he is, right now, enjoying every second of it.

And he knows with absolutely certainty he’s going to win, just like he knows that even if he didn’t, it won’t be the end of the world, since he already has more than most people have ever dreamed of – a home, a group of friends that feel more like family than anything else and a wife whom he loves more than any Physics equation.

(Not to mention the fact that he can talk with Amy about Physics equations in the first place counts as a huge bonus).

* * *

Sheldon and Amy’s daughter, Margaret watches the speech her daddy gives with a broad smile playing over her chubby pale face as her nanny, Vanessa, warns about being half an hour late for bedtime.

_“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve achieved my lifelong dream tonight. You’re probably eager to hear what words of wisdom Nobel Laureate has to share. Unfortunately for you though my field of expertise is Physics and not life advise.”_ Sheldon says over the TV and Margaret hears how a few of the guests at the ceremony chuckle at his words. 

Vanessa laughs, almost waiting for her boss to say his infamous _“Bazinga!”_ the way he usually does.

“I helped daddy write that joke!” Margaret announces proudly, flashing her a smug smile that mirrors Sheldon’s own one.

_“The only thing I can advise is to really never give up and pursue your dreams, however big or small they may be but never forget to appreciate your family in the mean time as in the end of the day they’re the ones that make celebrating your success worth it.”_

Sheldon finishes his speech and Margaret lets out a sigh of admiration, blue eyes filled of awe.

“I have the best daddy in the world!” she exclaims happily as Vanessa leans over to take her to bed.

“Yeah you do, sweetheart,” the nanny assures while Margaret gives her a glare, she’s not one to enjoy childish nicknames despite being at the tender age of four.

Vanessa idly muses how she has Amy’s radiant smile and Sheldon’s intelligent blue eyes and how she’s the smartest four year old she’s ever had to babysit.

Monica and David wave Margaret a goodnight after offering congratulations on her father’s success. The little girl responds with a pearly, albeit toothless smile of her own. The twins are allowed to stay for another hour seeing as that they’re older and are currently building a sky scraper out of Lego.

“When I grow up, I’m going to win an award just like daddy,” the kid declares, stomping her left food over the floor, as if to clarify her point.

“I’m sure you will,” Vanessa says as she takes the small girl’s hand in her palm and guides her towards the bedroom where Lily is already waiting under the bed covers.

* * *

The day after the ceremony is a normal one, despite the frantic calls on Sheldon’s phone and the hundreds of requests for an interview.

To everyone’s surprise the physicist decides to spend the day in his sunny living room, enjoying Thai food and teaching Margaret sixth-grade algebra.

Raj’s on the phone flirting with his boyfriend, Penny and Leonard argue about what to do on Sunday as Lily shows them her latest drawing and Howard and Bernadette are solving a puzzle with the help of the twins.

Amy squeezes his hand as she offers him a smile that looks like the embodiment of warmth and familiarity and he leans in to lock their lips together.

“Eww, that’s so gross!” Margaret shrieks as she watches them over the math equation he’s been explaining to her.

Sheldon laughs, _some things never change Nobel Prize or not_ , he notes to himself.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone, I hope you liked this final chapter! I kept Amy and Sheldon having a child as a surprise cause I wanted to leave something for the finale (Insert cunning writer’s laughter)!
> 
> I want to thank everyone who’s read the story and especially the people who’ve taken the time to give me feedback – your words of encouragement mean a lot to me!
> 
> Shameless self-promotion: If you’d like you can read: “The Abduction Incident” or “The Physicist’s Advice!” which are other BBT stories I’ve written!
> 
> Did you enjoy this chapter? What did you think of Sheldon’s daughter? Whoever guesses why she’s named Margaret gets to have some virtual cookies! 
> 
> Please review and have a lovely day!


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